Sarah Mulvey, a highflying Channel 4 executive, overdosed on drugs she
obtained from a rehab clinic after she was "systematically bullied"
by her bosses, a coroner heard.

Miss Mulvey, 34, who made programmes such as Ten Years Younger, Brat Camp and How To Look Good Naked with Gok Wan, was in a state of "acute stress" after difficulties at work and sought treatment at the £10,000 a week Causeway retreat.

Her father, Dr Christopher Mulvey, today told her inquest at St Pancras Coroners Court that Miss Mulvey "loved her job" as a commissioning editor but was "bullied systematically by her managers" until she could no longer cope.

"She was working absolutely full pelt. She was an extremely hard worker because she loved her job," he said.

"She was able to function in a high achieving way right up to the point when she said 'enough, I have to take some time out and I need to take it somewhere where I can have treatment to help me recover as quickly as possible so I can return to the job I love'."

The Oxford graduate checked herself in to the Causeway Retreat, a centre on Osea Island, Essex which specialised in treatment of "executive stress" and has been used by stars such as Amy Winehouse.

There, Miss Mulvey suffered a severe decline, and it is believed she obtained the drugs she used to kill herself.

Dr Mulvey said he had not seen her since her mental health deteriorated in 2008, but spoke to her regularly on the phone.

However, his wife, Jean Mulvey, a retired psychotherapist, met with their daughter and was "appalled" by her state, he said.

"Sarah was emaciated, she had absolutely no affect, and she was only able to speak in a very slight voice. She was clearly in a very bad way psychologically," he told coroner Dr Andrew Reid.

When asked why she had entered into the Causeway for treatment Dr Mulvey, a mathematics professor at Sussex University, raised the issue of bullying at Channel 4.

However, he was stopped by the coroner, Dr Andrew Reid, who said the broadcaster had not been listed as an interested party, although it was recognised that Miss Mulvey had been off sick, and was in redundancy and grievance negotiations with her bosses.

Paul Spencer, representing the Mulvey family, said that she had mentioned the year-long bullying to clinicians and it "potentially led to the circumstances of her death".

It was mentioned repeatedly in Miss Mulvey's medical records because "it was her belief and her sustained belief that she was subject to significant work place bullying [which] rendered her unwell and unfit for work," he said.

Her boyfriend Mark Gillett, vice president of engineering at Skype, also spoke of Mulvey's "meteoric" rise up the career ladder, but said she went from being "extremely happy" and "engaged" to tremendously stressed because of the "unpredictable and aggressive working environment" she faced at Channel 4.

A Channel 4 spokesman said in a statement: “In March 2009 Sarah Mulvey brought a grievance which was fully investigated in accordance with Channel 4's procedures and not upheld.

"We feel very deeply for Sarah’s family and partner at this difficult time.

"Sarah’s tragic death shocked and saddened everyone who knew her at Channel 4. Since then we have worked with the Mulvey family to support them and to celebrate Sarah’s career and achievements."

He added: "As the inquest has been adjourned until 2012 and it would not be appropriate for us to comment any further at this time.”

Miss Mulvey and Mr Gillet had returned from a holiday in the Maldives less than a month before she died, which Miss Mulvey described in her diary as the best of her life.

Mr Gillet was overseas when she was found in the flat the couple shared in Muswell Hill, but had left a post it note with the message: "S, I love you and I'm thinking of you. M xxx", the inquiry heard.

Dr Reid said that the cause of her death in January last year had been established as opiate toxicity, and questioned where she might have got the drugs.

Dr Mulvey said: "There is evidence from a number of her friends and people who were working at the Causeway that there was a fairly easy access to the drugs that were held, presumably for clinical use." After spending four months at the Causeway she was asked to leave.

Dr Mulvey said: "She was then confronted by the manager and told she had 20 minutes to pack her bags. Sarah was appalled by this.

"At that particular point she attempted to hang herself. When she finally left she was in terrible state. Acute stress in an articulate, high achieving individual had turned her into someone who was in a much worse position."

Brendan Quinn, a registered nurse and director of the clinic which has since been closed and been fined for not having registration, denied that Miss Mulvey had "stockpiled" the drugs she overdosed on when at the clinic.

He said staff were "highly qualified", they also had "robust" measures to ensure drugs were administered properly. Miss Mulvey was a problem patient who had "categorically refused" to leave despite the advice of staff, he added.

The chief executive admitted that criminal proceedings, begun after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), established that the retreat was being run as a hospital and should have been registered when it was not.

However, he denied allegations by Mr Spencer that the CQC found a "suitcase full of prescription medication that had no labels and no dates".

The inquiry into her death was adjourned until early next year for further investigations including into whether the clinic had access to prescription drugs which she could have stockpiled.